Property repair - agent/landlord responsibility

[DeeDee401]

My family and I have lived in our property for almost 6 years. Over that time, our letting agents have failed to do any sort of maintainence on the property. Fixed cupboard doors, broken taps, peeling ceiling paper, have, over the years, been repaired by ourselves after countless and fruitless requests to the letting agent.

Things weren't so bad up until last year. Our letting agent did do yearly checkups on the property, however this year, not only has this stopped, but they have failed to even respond to emails or phone calls.

 

My main question is: As we've been living in the propery for this long, what is the landlord required to maintain and what should we take on ourselves? We have two children and we have been "living" in the property therefore this general wear and tear which after 6 years needs upkeep. The carpeting is extremely old and we were told by our letting agent that this would be replaced after 5 years of tenancy, however they now refuse to speak to. Apart from th is, there is a good deal of repainting needed, the skirting boards have all come loose on their own valition, the cupboard doors are fallng off and many more things needing minor repair. It has gotten so that I no longer feel the property is worth the rent that I pay for it!

 

I am considering a letter to the agent stating that if repairs are not done I will be informing our landlord. The landlord is in fact one of our neighbors.

 

Frustrated.

 

Thanks.

[ericsbrother]

The landlord is required to maintain the property, not the letting agent so I would be writing him a stiff letter outlining all of the past problems and how much you have paid to put them right and say that you are happy to have this amount subtracted from the next month's rent due or consider action to recover the money. You should also tell the LL the history of the agency's shortcomings and ask the LL to investigate why the complaints havent been passed on f the agency isnt liable for maintenance. Also write to the agency and ask for proof that your complaints had been logged and passed on to the LL. You can contact the housing dept of your local council and ask them to inspect with regard to getting an improvment notice issued under the 1959 housing act but to be honest the disrepair probably isnt bad enough to force that.

[raydetinu]

this may help.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/23392/ShelterGuide_GettingRepairsDone.pdf

[DeeDee401]

^^Ah. That's just what I needed! Thanks! ^^